Women Education in Islam
Islam is the first religion which acknowledges and secures all of the fundamental rights of women as daughter, sister, mother and wife. Following are the Hadiths, which indicates the indiscriminate and fair treatment of females in their right of access to education.
1. Regarding the equal importance of education for both male and female, the Prophet of Allah is reported to have said; “Acquisition of knowledge is obligatory to both men and women”.
2. On another occasion Hazrat Ibne Abbas (R.A) reports the Prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H) of saying “If a daughter is born to a man and he brings her up affectionately, shows her no disrespect and treats her in the same manner as he treats his sons, lord will reward him with paradise”.
3. Again in Kanzul Amal on the same page Abdullah Ibne Masood (R.A) has reported the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said: “If a daughter is born to a person and he brings her up treats her in the arts of life, I shall myself stand between him and the hell fire”.
4. Devotion and special attention towards female education is evident from the following Hadith. “Whoever brings up three daughter, teach them good manners and skills, marries them (to good men) and treats them well, for him is promised paradise Abu Dawud.
5. Prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H) also says: “There are three men who get a double reward; one of’ them is one who has a slave girl and teaches her manner and etiquettes in the best possible way, then sets her free and marries her himself”. (Bukhari).
6. Another example of’ Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) invitation to women For reading and writing is clear from the following incident.: It is narrated by Shifa bint Abdullah that, one day she was Sitting with Hafsah (R.A) when the Prophet (P.B.U.H) came along and said, “why do you not teach her (i.e. Hafsah) the cure for the’ diseases just as you have taught her reading and writing” (Abu Daud and Ahmad in Musnad).